Elevating and loading mechanism for semi-liquids



- N. O. HEGNA Jan. 12, 1960 ELEVATING AND LOADING MECHANISM FOR SEMI-LIQUIDS Filed Dec. 25, 1958 INVENTOR. NORMAN O. HEGNA t i p United States Patent ELEVATING AND LOADING MECHANISM FOR SEMI-LIQUIDS Norman 0. Hegna, McMinnville, Oreg. Application December 23, 1958, Serial No. 782,447

1 Claim. (Cl. 198-121) The present invention relates to an elevating and loading mechanism for semi-liquids such as fertilizers.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an elevating mechanism of the screw type conveyor type for elevating semi-liquids, such as manure from dairy barns to manure spreaders, trucks or tanks.

Another object of the invention is to provide an elevating mechanism formed of a heavy material capable of resisting acid action encountered in the handling of manure.

A further object of the invention is to provide an elevating mechanism that is self-contained, self-supported and constructed so that it can be adjusted to elevate materials into various sized trucks, usually from pits containing the semi-liquid material.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in light of the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the invention with a manure spreader or truck being indicated by broken lines;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary-plan view of the feed end of the device;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the tripod;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the winch; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevation of the lower portion of the tripod.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference character L indicates generally the elevating and loading mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention and including a relatively heavy tubular body 10. Extending longitudinally of the body 10 is a screw auger 11, its lower end being journalled in a bearing 12 fixedly secured to the body 10, referring particularly to Figures 1 and 3. The upper end of the auger 11 is journalled in a bearing 13 fixedly secured within the tubular body 10 by bolts 14.

The auger 11 includes a relatively large shaft 15 hav ing a continuous spiral 16 formed thereon. The object of the relatively large shaft 15 is to provide a rigid structure in order to be able to maintain a clearance 17 between the outer periphery of the spiral and the inner surface of the tubular body 10. A stub shaft 18 is fixedly secured within the upper end of the shaft 15 and is journalled in the bearing 13 above described. Keyed to the upper end of the shaft .18 is a sprocket 19 driven by a chain 20 from a driving sprocket 21, which is keyed to a drive shaft 22. V

The'drive shaft 22 is journalled within bearing 23, mounted upon a pedestal 24 at one end and connected to the coupler 25 associated with a driving motor 26 at its opposite end. The motor 26 is mounted on a base 27 secured to the tubular body 10, as best illustrated in Figure 1.

The elevator L is supported from a bipod 28 on a block and tackle 29. Pivotally secured to the body 10 at 30 is an upwardly extending bridle or bale 31 connected to the block and tackle 29. The free end 32 of a cable 33 is trained about a winch 34 fixedly secured to the pedestal by welding at 35. The winch 34 is adapted to be held in any desired position by a ratchet mechanism 36 and operated by a crank 37.

Referring to the upper portion of the bipod 28, Figure 4, the bipod 28 includes legs 38 and 39. The legs 38, 39 are provided with cross members 40 pivotally connected at 41. The legs 38, 39 are spaced apart at their lower ends by a spreader bar 42. The spreader bar 42 consists of two parts, a portion 43 pivotally mounted to the leg 38 and a portion 44 pivotally mounted to the leg 39. The adjacent ends of the portions 43, 44 are connected by a coupler 45. When the elevator L is stored, the bipod 28 can be folded by disconnecting the coupler 45 and folding the legs 38, 39 towards one another, also folding the spreader bar portions 43, 44 to the broken line position, referring to Figure 6.

When the elevating and loading mechanism L is erected, the lower end 46 rests upon the ground surface or within a pit 47 containing the semi-liquid materials. The bipod 28 leans toward the lower end 46, creating a selfsupporting arrangement without having to have a third leg provided for the bipod 28 itself.

Referring to Figures 1 and 3 particularly, it will be noted that the lower end of the elevator L has an opening 48 into which the materials enter. It will also be noted that the upper edge 49 of the opening 48 is formed on a diagonal. This diagonal edge is very important due to the fact that a cutting action takes place between the outer periphery of the spiral 16 and the edge 49, and when sloping in the manner illustrated it prevents clogging of semi-hard materials.

When the materials are elevated, they are discharged through the spout 50 into a conveyance 51, which may be a manure spreader, truck or tank for delivering the same to its destination. The auger 11 is adapted to be revolved in the direction of the arrow, Figure 3, by the motor 26 in the operation of the elevating and loading mechanism.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

An elevating and loading mechanism for semi-liquids comprising an elongated tubular body, an auger extending through said body and journalled for rotation therein, means mounted on said body for rotating said auger, and means for adjustably supporting said body with one end thereof elevated above the other, said last mentioned means comprising a bipod including a pair of downwardly diverging legs, a laterally extending plate at the upper end of each leg, a bolt connecting said plates, one of said plates having a pair of spaced apertures therein, a first pulley secured in one of said apertures, a ring secured in the other of said apertures, a cable secured at one end to said ring, a second pulley supported on said cable, a sling engaging about said tubular body supported by said second pulley, said cable extending over said first mentioned pulley, a winch mounted on one of said legs, the other end of said cable engaging said winch a spreader bar comprised of two parts, each pivotally connected to the lower end of one of said legs, and iac oupler connecting the free ends o f said parts of said spreader .bar.

I References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENT-S Camp July 3, 1906 Butler June 21, 1921 Lynds Dec. 9, 1930 Kaesler Feb. 26, 1946 Hodges Oct. 3, 1950 Bobrowski --1 Jan. 30, 1951 Senstock Aug. 19, 1952 Beldin Sept. 16, 1952 Hager Dec. 29, 1953 

